On June 1, 1995, a group of three people set out to Gorai Beach, Mumbai. At 11:30 am, we floated on the sea waters 500 yards from the shore on 3 tyre tubes tied together. We did not perceive that the waves had drifted us quite far into the sea. At 1:00 pm, we realized that not one of us was able to touch the sand with the feet. We became panicky, desperately trying to turn the course back to the shore. Instead, we were drifting farther into the high seas.
At a distance of 2 k.m. away from the beach our cries for help couldn’t be heard. We then started praying to Our Lady of Happy Voyage as we were still struggling for life in vain. We had lost all hope to be rescued but through her help.
Suddenly we saw two men swimming towards us. They took us to safety at 2:30 pm.
Later we came to know that my mother-in-law had heard our cry for help within our lodging place in spite of the noisy waves. At the same time my 8-year-old son too was telling everybody aloud in the house that we were drowning at the sea.
Two men were found and sent to our rescue. It is our firm belief that Our Lady of Bandel saved our lives at sea.